Windows Vista and the Measurement of Happiness

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the User Experience 2006 conference in Seattle, Washington. We spent several days covering the fundamentals and latest trends in developing usable products, such as usability testing and developing personas. With most members of the audience usability professionals, one would expect, to some degree, a consensus on the best ways to design and build truly user-friendly software.

Thursday night found us at a presentation by Microsoft’s Tjeerd Hoek, Director of User Experience Design for Windows. Now, Tjeerd is an extremely smart guy, and given the short time period of the presentation, managed to show off some impressive development efforts going into Vista.

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Mission Sessions 002

Since I posted part three first, it only makes sense to continue in reverse-chronological order. Part two cuts straight to the chase, delivering dance-able beats from the first track before diving into some funky house and then carrying through the progressive melodies to the 80th minute. Like the rest of the Mission Sessions sets, it’ll fit onto a single CD if you care to burn it.

Tracklist:

  1. Espen – Along the Edge (Peter McCowan’s Heliobacter Mix)
  2. Suicide Sports Club – I Don’t Know (feat. Dead Rabbits) (King Unique Mix)
  3. Exhibit A – G Minor (Soul Avengerz Mix)
  4. Colder – To the Music (Instrumental)
  5. Kings of Leon – Milk (Stretch and Vern Edit)
  6. Big – A Promise (Dousk Vandalismic Mix)
  7. Def E & The Beginerz – Wipe Your Tears Away (Punkrok Remix)
  8. Junior Caldera – Black Mamba
  9. Robimon – Aquatic
  10. Sayes – Dolphin Ride
  11. Matt Rowan & Jaytech – Tomorrow
  12. Macca – I’d Rather Be Alone (Dub Mix)
  13. Espen – Along the Edge (Original Mix)

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Mission Sessions 003

In January, I started a project called “Mission Sessions”, an open-ended series of mixsets in a similar vein — strong, dancable progressive house, each set under 80 mins so it could be burned to a CD. Of course, these projects always take longer than you expect, but that’s the nice thing about not having a deadline.

Today, to mark the live launch of brokendigits.com, I’m happy to release part three of the series, appropriately entitled “mission sessions 003”. The name comes from the Mission district in Calgary, where I moved in January. Overlooking the city, the sets capture my moods and tastes as the year has progressed.

Tracklist:

  1. Banco de Gaia – Kara Kum
  2. Wally Lopez and David Ferrero – Ca C’est Paris
  3. Basek and Jeff Bennett – Free Float (Subsky Mix)
  4. Kris Menace – Jupiter
  5. AFK – Lush (Matt Rowan and Jaytech Mix)
  6. Ray and Peter – Next Chapter (Derek Howell Mix)
  7. Micah – Epidemic, Part 2
  8. Dousk – Estrange
  9. Kirk Degiorgio and Esoterik – Starwaves (Spirit Catcher Mix)
  10. Jody Wisternoff – Cold Drink, Hot Girl
  11. Paolo Mojo – 1983
  12. Starecase – Vapour Trails (Matt Rowan and Jaytech Mix)
  13. Satoshi Tomiie – Glow (Spirit Catcher Mix)
I’ll be re-releasing parts 001 and 002 on this website shortly, along with some older mixes I’ve made over the past few years.

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Live at Art Gallery of Calgary

On May 12, thanks in no small part to my good friend Jeremy, I landed my first live gig. I played for just over two hours on a small stage at the Art Gallery of Calgary for a local magazine launch party. It went off fairly well — I don’t think most people were expecting to come out and dance, so it was good to get a vibe going and to see some people on the dance floor.

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